Soak it in, carnivores. Houston has scored three — well, kind of three — slots on Travel + Leisure's new list of the Top 20 steakhouses in the United States.
In a rundown populated by national institutions like Dickie Brennan's in New Orleans and New York's Peter Luger (established in 1887), the Bayou City has managed to hold its own with a trio of chophouses.
Chef Ronnie Killen's Pearland steakhouse get some serious props for having the "best beef inside and outside the Beltway." The travel magazine loves the restaurant's "roadhouse dive" exterior as well as impressive sides like parmesan-crusted creamed corn.
Even after plans for a Heights branch were squashed this fall, inner Loopers still have little problem trekking out to the 'burbs for Killen's celebrated steaks.
Michael Cordua's Central American steakhouse is highlighted for the signature dish that gives the restaurant its name — the char-grilled, chimichurri-seasoned steak known as the churrasco. The magazine also has eyes for Cordua's empanadas, shrimp taquitos and tres leches.
While Pappas Bros. has locations in both Dallas and Houston, Travel + Leisure only cites the north Texas branch. But any Space City foodie knows that Pappas means Houston . . . plus, the first Pappas Bros. was on Westheimer anyway. So take that, Big D.
Regardless of location, the classic Texas steakhouse is honored not only for the prime beef it dry ages in house, but also for its Gulf seafood and massive wine list.
